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Morning. I was reminded of my acapella choir arrangement of “Ain’t No Sunshine” first thing this morning, which such a useful and versatile arrangement . It is great both for choirs and special singing days. I taught it to about 30 staff members of Airbnb a few years ago to people who didn’t think they sung! I came across this gorgeously sensitive and lyrical rendition by a choir called Chorkuma last year. Based in Innsbruck, singing at the beautiful House of Music ( Haus Der Music) which I am now absolutely waiting for an invitation to go. Click on the link and see the beauty of the building – then the beautiful singing.

Chorkuma Innsbruck

The arrangement can be sung so lyrically and sweetly like this, but I have heard it done with some suitable swaying action too . The Macquarie University ( Sydney Australia) student run acapella group added a beat box in 2017 ! Their rendition is very funky . I love it!

I totally recommend it to any choir leader.it has lovely layering which, though simple has a great texture harmonically and rhymically too So much fun to teach. Best place to buy it is here. Curiously there are some sheet music sites on the internet selling my arrangements and I get no money at all. This site below Choir Community which I am one of 3 board members makes sure I get a small percentage and the rest goes to all the correct places. You can listen to the audio and buy the audio and the sheet music right now xx Have fun!

Ain’t No Sunshine (SATB) – Sheet Music
You can hear the audio and see my choir’s version

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Dear sweet Mr P. was cleaning out his work bag.  I took a picture of all the work gloves that came out and were laid on the floor for matching and  inspection.  Mr. P’s hands were added to the picture.

I have been very hand orientated recently as I am practicing the guitar everyday until they ache, which does not see to be long. I had a strange moment when Mr P. told me how good it was that I was learning a new skill at my age and I suddenly had one of those moments when I thought that I was maybe too old to learn something new. The thing is I am enjoying it so much. Also when I went to the hospital last week the consultant put the comma in the wrong place and called me a 52 year….old woman. Not yet I shouted not yet! In Greece I am still considered young see link!  I am still trying to put that one away, as, like I harp on, it is never too late. Must remember my own advise. Ah the sound of early morning  drilling! The man on the TV who is having his house excavated, is not making any friends, as both houses on either side  of his are cracking and moving, as are his neighbours (not moving, as in moving house, but definitely cracking up) as his builders wake us all up every day since July. Deep Joy.

SONG OF THE DAY Bill Withers – Grandma’s Hands/Use Me

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I looked at me dashboard and there it was in black and white….four times more visitors on Monday than any other day for a while…strange, but true. I was making cyber tea and baking galactic cakes all day!…and then I pondered…….and  wondered for a while.

What and how this had occured?..was it my beautiful photo of one lonely cyclist, or the wonderful rendition of  Sister Rosetta Tharpe -Down By The Riverside? And then I sussed it!  It was a Monday and like me, many of the Bishopsgate Singers were perhaps itching for a sing ( mmm I am not sure if you can itch for a sing…it just does not sound quite right, )  and had a look at the blog to check they had not missed the first day of term. Well maybe, but the 25th was a Bank Holiday….ah time on our hands!  Thats what did it… maybe.

Bishopsgate Singers Singing for the Red Cross in Freezing Conditions!!

Anyway new term starts on Monday 9th of May, which is a  very late start, due to all these Monday bank holidays, but we are getting together on the 6th to raise some money for the Red Cross in the City of London somewhere…watch this space. Hope we can remember all the songs from last term…I may have to do a bit of homework myself!

SONG OF THE DAY

So my singers get practice cd’s usually halfway through the term. This is the one I was working on today today! yippee. An arrangment of ‘Aint no Sunshine’ just to balance out all those happy sunny songs we have been hearing lately,. So all the voices on the demo below are mine. freshly sung this afternoon and it is ‘take one’, by the time it is sung by a real group of singers it may change  dramatically…and I might wake up tomorrow and change it all! 

best to listen to at least 2 minutes as it does develop etc blah blah!

‘aint no sunshine

and then the original version